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Nel corso del 2000 è stato avviato, nell’ASL della Provincia di Varese, lo screening mammografico per tutte le donne residenti, di età compresa tra i 50 - 69 anni. In questo lavoro si valuta sinteticamente l’andamento dello screening dal 1° di gennaio 2001 fino al 31 dicembre 2002.L’avvio dello screening è stato graduale, iniziando con alcuni comuni della Provincia, fino ad arrivare al coinvolgimento di tutti i 141 comuni.La popolazione bersaglio è risultata essere di 109.607 donne. Nel primo anno sono state invitate 35.161 donne, nel secondo 49.709, con un aumento degli inviti pari al 41,4%.La popolazione rispondente, nel corso del 2001, è stata di 12.992 donne, nel 2002 di 22.590 donne, con un aumento della risposta pari al 73,9 %.L’adesione corretta al programma di screening è passatadal 41,2 % nel 2001 al 54,7 % nel 2002 e il tasso di identificazione (Detection Rate) dal 4,8 ‰ al 5,3 ‰.Sta per iniziare il secondo round del programma di screening. In previsione di questa fase, sulla base dell’esperienza maturata nel primo round, dovranno essere aggiornati le linee guida, il piano di fattibilità e implementato il sistema di controllo di qualità di tutte le componenti del programma (ruolo di gestione e di coordinamento dell’ASL, esecuzione delle prestazioni da parte degli enti erogatori, flussi informativi, comunicazione e formazione di tutto il personale dedicato).

A direct consequence of sea warming is the shift in the distribution range of thermo-tolerant species that have the potential to determine novel inter-specific interactions, ultimately altering food web structures and ecosystem processes. In this study, we investigated the trophic position of the bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus, 1766), a pelagic predator that has recently expanded its distribution in the Mediterranean basin and for which scant information is available on its functional role in recently-colonised areas. Nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes were determined in muscle tissues of bluefish specimens collected in south-east Italy in the Gulf of Taranto (NW Ionian Sea) and in the Strait of Otranto (SW Adriatic Sea) at two coastal sites showing contrasting oceanographic conditions. The bluefish trophic position (TP) was estimated using locally abundant forage fish species as isotopic baselines. The results indicated for bluefish from the Strait of Otranto a TP value of 5.1, significantly higher than that determined in the Gulf of Taranto (4.2), and exceeding stomach content-based estimations reported by the online database FishBase and by literature sources. A synthesis of 30 publications reporting isotopic data for the bluefish and its potential prey at a global scale indicated that the species’ trophic position varied considerably between 2.7 and 5.2. The observed variability depended on locationand on the baseline species used in the estimations. Yet, a significant difference in trophic position was observed for bluefish from transitional and inshore environments as compared with offshore areas, mirroring the results obtained from the Gulf of Taranto and the Strait of Otranto. The findings of the study highlight the high trophic plasticity characterizing the bluefish in recently colonized areas, suggesting that it may play a key role in facilitating the expansion of its distribution range. However, additional investigations are essential to provide an advanced resolution of the bluefish functional role in Mediterranean coastal food webs.

The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus is a portunid native to the western Atlantic, from New England to Uruguay. The species was introduced in Europe in 1901 where it has become invasive; additionally, a significant northward expansion has been emphasized in its native range. Here we present a harmonized global compilation of C. sapidus occurrences from native and non-native distribution ranges derived from online databases (GBIF, BISON, OBIS, and iNaturalist) as well as from unpublished and published sources. The dataset consists of 40,388 geo-referenced occurrences, 39,824 from native and 564 from non-native ranges, recorded in 53 countries. The implementation of quality controls imposed a severe reduction, in particular from online databases, of the records selected for inclusion in the dataset. In addition, a technical validation procedure was used to flag entries showing identical coordinates but different year of record, in-land occurrences and those located close to the coast. Similarly, a flagging system identified entries outside the known distribution of the species, or associated with unsuccessful introductions., Measurement(s) geographic location Technology Type(s) digital curation Factor Type(s) location • year of record Sample Characteristic - Organism Callinectes sapidus Sample Characteristic - Environment marine biome Sample Characteristic - Location Globe Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14077112

There is a growing recognition that an advanced understanding of the trophic characteristics of an invasive consumer can provide important information on its ecological impact. In recent years, the blue swimming crab Portunus segnis, one of the earliest Lessepsian invaders, has considerably expanded its distribution range in the Mediterranean Sea, yet, its trophic habits in invaded areas remain scarcely investigated. In this study, we used carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes analysis (SIA) to determine the trophic position and isotopic niche of the crab compared with other representatives of the flora and fauna occurring in Elounda Bay (Crete). P. segnis showed a trophic position of 3.9, higher than the values determined by SIA or conventional gut content analysis in other areas of the Mediterranean Sea or in the native range. Crab specimens showed a high inter-individual variability in both δ13C and δ15N values; further analysis indicated negligible differences in the isotopic niche of adult males and females. Conversely, δ15N values were significantly related to the size of the specimens, ultimately suggesting an ontogenetic dietary shift. This study represents the first attempt to characterize the trophic habits of the blue swimming crab in the context of an invaded food web and may contribute to the implementation of long-term management strategies of control and mitigation of its ecological impact.

Este artículo contiene 16 páginas, 1 figura, 1 tablas., Background Freshwater ecosystems are amongst the most threatened habitats on Earth; nevertheless, they support about 9.5% of the known global biodiversity while covering less than 1% of the globe’s surface. A number of anthropogenic pressures are impacting species diversity in inland waters and, amongst them, the spread of invasive alien species is considered one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss and homogenisation in freshwater habitats.Crayfish species are widely distributed freshwater invaders and, while alien species introductions occur mostly accidentally, alien crayfish are often released deliberately into new areas for commercial purposes. After their initial introduction, crayfish species can rapidly establish and reach high-density populations as a result of their adaptive functional traits, such as their generalist diet. The Louisiana crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) is globally considered one of the worst invaders and its impact on recipient freshwater communities can vary from predation and competition with native species, to modification of food webs and habitat structure and introduction of pathogens. Native to the south United States and north Mexico, P. clarkii has been introduced in Europe, Asia and Africa, determining negative ecological and economic impacts in the majority of invaded habitats where it became dominant within the receiving benthic food webs. Due to its flexible feeding strategy, P. clarkii exerts adverse effects at different trophic levels, ultimately affecting the structure and dynamics of invaded food webs. It is, therefore, paramount to evaluate the ecological consequences of P. clarkii invasion and to quantify its impact in a spatially explicit context. New information In the past decades, the analysis of stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and other elements has become a popular methodology in food web ecology. Notably, stable isotope analysis has emerged as a primary tool for addressing applied issues in biodiversity conservation and management, such as the assessment of the trophic ecology of non-indigenous species in invaded habitats. Here, we built two geo-referenced datasets, resolved respectively at the population and individual scale, by collating information on δ C and δ N values of P. clarkii within invaded inland waters. The population-scale dataset consists of 160 carbon and nitrogen isotopic values of the Louisiana crayfish and its potential prey, including living and non-living primary producers and benthic invertebrates. The dataset resolved at individual scale consists of 1,168 isotopic records of P. clarkii. The isotopic values included within the two datasets were gathered from 10 countries located in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America, for a total of 41 studies published between 2005 and 2021. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this effort represents the first attempt to collate in standardised datasets the sparse isotopic information of P. clarkii available in literature. The datasets lend themselves to being used for providing a spatially explicit resolution of the trophic ecology of P. clarkii and to address a variety of ecological questions concerning its ecological impact on recipient aquatic food webs.

The ankle-foot-orthosis (AFO), originally called Codivilla Spring, is an orthotic device prescribed to the patients with foot drop due to neurological diseases in order to control the range of motion of the ankle joint, to compensate for the muscle weakness/spasticity thus optimizing the gait function. In this paper, a historical revision of the most known and used AFO worldwide from the origin of its name and the first applications at the Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute to the most advanced solutions in use today is covered. Through the critical analysis of historical documents available, the paper reports on the controversy about the true inventor of the Codivilla Spring during the first decades of the twentieth century. Main current adult and child AFOs, in terms of their design and indications are presented. Finally, possible approaches for the selection of the correct orthosis and the individual prescription are discussed in order to manage specific mechanical neuromuscular deficiencies of the subject's ankle-foot complex optimizing walking efficiency.

As compared to piezoelectric technology, MEMS technology employed for Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT) fabrication provides increased compatibility with 3D packaging methods, enabling the possible development of advanced transducer-electronics multi-chip modules (MCM) for medical imaging applications. In this paper, an acoustically optimized 3D packaging method for the interconnection of Reverse-Fabricated 2D CMUT arrays and front end ICs using a wafer-level compatible process is presented. The developed packaging method uses Cu pillars and Sn-Ag solder reflow for electrical interconnection, and patterned Benzocy-clobutene (BCB) for mechanical bonding. Process parameters were optimized by analyzing the acoustic behavior of a CMUT supported by a BCB film laying on a silicon substrate using Finite Element Modeling (FEM). Dummy CMUT and ASIC wafers were processed and MCMs were assembled following a chip-to-chip bonding approach using the optimized process parameters. Electrical characterization of the MCMs demonstrated successful contact across the entire fabricated devices. Probe head prototypes were assembled and pulse-echo experiments were carried out using the MCM surface as a reflector to verify the effectiveness of the optimization on the acoustic behavior of the device.